Paulo Costa has declared his readiness to fight Magomed Ankalaev for a championship title. Costa revealed he spoke with Carlos (presumably Ulberg) yesterday, who informed him he will be out for a year due to an upcoming surgery. With Carlos sidelined, Costa believes the promotion should create either a temporary or vacant title fight, and he intends to participate in it. Costa stated he should be next in line to fight for the belt. This represents Costa's bid to enter the light heavyweight title picture amid uncertainty in the division.
Paulo Costa has put himself forward as a contender for the light heavyweight title, publicly calling out champion Magomed Ankalaev and declaring he should be next in line for a shot at the belt.
Costa, a 35-year-old Brazilian ranked 13th at middleweight with a 16-4-0 record, revealed the move comes after learning that Carlos Ulberg is facing roughly a year on the sidelines due to an upcoming surgery. Costa stated he spoke directly with Ulberg and, with the New Zealander now out of the picture, believes the promotion should install either a temporary or vacant title fight — one Costa intends to be part of.
Ulberg, also 35, had positioned himself as one of the most dangerous challengers in the division. Ranked third at light heavyweight with a 15-1-0 record, the City Kickboxing product out of New Zealand is one of the sport's busiest strikers, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy across his career.
Ankalaev, the man Costa wants to face, carries a 21-2-1 record and sits first in the light heavyweight rankings, also holding the number-five spot pound-for-pound. The 34-year-old Russian operates at a measured pace — 3.65 significant strikes per minute — but adds consistent pressure with 0.79 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Costa himself would be stepping up a division from middleweight. At six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, he is physically smaller than both Ankalaev, who stands six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, and Ulberg, who measures six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach. What Costa brings is elite output: 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's surgical absence creates a genuine void in the top-three light heavyweight contender picture
- Costa is a ranked middleweight seeking to vault directly into a title fight one division above
- A Costa versus Ankalaev matchup would pit the highest-volume striker in this group against a champion with a strong grappling-and-control game
